Ex-US serviceman found dead in room surrounded by cash and valuables

A former US soldier was found dead in his rented room in Prajuab Khirikhan town yesterday.

Police found Thai and foreign currency left on a table, a sealed brown envelope stuffed with cash and bankbooks showing deposits of 1.3 million baht, reported Morning News.

He lived alone and had split up from his Thai wife.

Caretaker Winai Chorpthamkit, 55, called police to the rooms where they found 71 year old Monte Frank Madeiros naked in bed face up.

He was clutching the air-con remote in his right hand. He had been dead at least 24 hours.

In a wardrobe they found a sealed brown envelope that was stuffed with cash. On the table was Thai money in thousands, hundreds and 20s all laid out. There was also a quantity of US dollars on the table.

Police found two bankbooks – one account had more than 900,000 baht the other more than 400,000 baht.

There were lots of prescription medications in the room and a Nokia phone. Police hope to use this to contact his relatives.

Caretaker Winai said that Mr Madeiros was a retired soldier who had been living in Thailand for eight years. He had split up from his Thai wife.

Winai said that the man had told him that he received a pension of 80,000 baht a month but this was not enough for him to live in the United States. So after retirement he had decided to come and live in Thailand where his pension would be enough to live on.